In the field of optical communications, multiple optical data streams are commonly carried on different fibers located within the same cable. These optical fiber ribbons typically comprise two or more glass optical fibers disposed within a UV-curable adhesive (typically acrylate) matrix material. This matrix material, including the adhesive (typically acrylate) coating found on the outside of the individual fibers prior to ribbonizing, holds the fibers together. However, it does not enforce a very accurate spacing between the optical fiber cores, and it does not form a suitable surface for referencing optical emitters and detectors to the fiber cores. Accordingly, in order to use such optical fiber ribbons, the adhesive material must be stripped from the ends, so that the glass surfaces of the individual fibers may be used as a reference surface for aligning optical emitters and detectors to the fiber cores.
The prior art includes extensive efforts to simplify the process of stripping the ends of optical fiber ribbons. These include certain formulations of coatings and inks to control surface adhesion, as well as numerous mechanical and laser-based methods of coating removal and fiber end preparation. While all of these methods have resulted in simplification of the ribbon stripping process, there remains a need to further simplify the process of optical fiber ribbon termination by eliminating the stripping process entirely.